Card index



.l. C. RUSSELL. j

CARD INDEX.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1920.

1,423,029. Patented July 18,1922.

;//////////l Ill INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH CLIFFORD RUSSELL, OF PITTSBURGH, FENNSYLVAYNIA.

CARD INDEX.

Application filed October 12, 1920.

Z 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrri C. RUssnLL, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Card Indexes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains toPaulie and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in indexes and more particularlytoa card index of the visible type in which the cards overlie each otherin a holder or slide.

One object of my invention is to provide an index of the type specified,which shall be simple and substantial in construction, cheap tomanufacture, and in which the con tinual bending of the cards to effecthinged connection thereof with their supporting means shall be avoided.

A further object is to so construct the index that the cards may beattached at their upper edges only to oscillatory supports whichconstitute hinge connections for the cards to the holder or slide frame.

A further object is to construct a visible card index in such mannerthat the cards shall be locked in oscillatory supports mounted in aholder or slide frame, and lie one upon another, and so that any cardmay be readily removed when necessary.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafterset forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a view of a visible card indexillustrating an embodiment of my invention; Figure 2 is a transversesectional view; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view; Figure & is aperspective view of one of the oscillatory card supports and showing themanner of locking an edge portion of a card thereto, and Figure 5 is aView of one of the cards.

1 represents a frame or holder which may be constructed in the form of aslide to enter a suitable cabinet not shown). The base 2 of the frame 1may be recessed as at 3, whereby ledges 4 are formed near respectivesides of the frame to receive respective end portions of card supports 5more particularly hereinafter described. Enlargements 6, 6 are locatedat or near respective sides of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Serial No. 416,377.

frame base 2 and upon these enlargei'nents,

members 7, 8 are disposed and overhang the ledges l so as to cooperatetherewith in a manner to provide guideways for the end portions of thecard supports. The member 7 at one side of the frame 1 may be l'xed toor made integral with the enlargement 6*, but the member 8 at the otherside of the frame is hinged to the enlargement 6 so that it may beraised to facilitate the removal, insertion or rearrangement of the cardsupports and cards. I

The oscillatory card supports are mounted freelyside by side in. theframe so that their end portions will be disposed in the guidewaysformed between the ledges l and the overhanging portions of the members7, S and the cards connected with said supports and having tangentialrelation thereto lie freely, one upon another in such manner that thelower portions of the cards shall be exposed. In order that the cardsnear the lower end of the series shall lie flat, the base member 2 ofthe frame is made to form an inclined platform 9. To retain the several*ard supports in proper relation to each other and to prevent the escapeof said supports, I provide a follower 10 slidingly mounted in the frameand held in. position by friction springs 11 at one or both of its endsto engage the side walls of the interiorof the frame, said side wallsbeing formed by the enlargements 6 and 6 The follower 10 may be providedwith a knob 12 to facilitate the manipulation thereof.

Each card support may consist of a cylindrical tube split longitudinallyand having a flange 13 projecting inwardly from one of the edges, saidflange being out of line with the axis of the tube and underlying theother edge, 14, of said tube. It will be observed that all portions ofthe wall of the tube (except the flange 13) are concentric with the axisof the tube. Each index card 15 is bent near its upper ed 'e, whereby aflange 16 is formed and is disposed at an angle to the body of the card.Th index card is inserted into the tubular support 5 from one endthereof so that its upper portion will be disposed between the edge 14:and the inwardly projecting flange 13 and so that the 16 of the cardwill project past the free edge of the flange and be disposed atsubstantially right angles thereto,-the card learing an approximatelytangential relation to the tubular support.

It evident that any pull which might be exerted on a card, in adirection at right angles to the tubular support, will cause the flangeof the card to tend to mark a segment of a circle, but by reason of thedisposition of said flange between the flange 13 and the wall of thetube, it will be impossible for the flange of the card to make any appreciable movement in the arc of a circle, and hence the card willeffectually be loclted to the tubular support. When a card is raised,there will be no hinge movement of any part of the card relatively toits support (which hinge movement would tend to weaken the connection ofthe card with its support) but the supportitselfwill turn freely in itsmounting in the frame, and all of the tubular card supports may be sofreely mounted in the frame as tolie one against another.

In order to limit the movement of a card when the same is placed in asupport and thus insure the proper position of the card between the endsof the support, the latter may be indented to provide a stop, asindicated at 17. 7

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

'1. In a card index, the combination with a frame, of a plurality ofoscillatory card supports therein, each of said supports consisting of asplit tube having an inwardly projecting flange at one edge,and a cardentering said split tube and disposed approximately tangentiallythereto, said card having a flange disposed at approximately rightangles to the flange of the tube within the latter.

2. In a card index, a card support consisting of a split tube having acircular cross section, one edge portion of the tube having an inwardlyprojecting flange out of line with centre of the tube, and a cardentering the split tube and having a flange engaging the free edge ofthe flange in the tube.

3. In a card index, the combination of a card support consisting of asplit tube provided at one 01": its edges with an inwardly projectingflange out of line with the centre of the tube, and a card entering thesplit tube and having a flange cooperating with the free edge of saidinwardly projecting flange, and with the inner wall of the tube to lockthe card to the tube within the same.

41:. In a card index, a card support consisting of a tube having acircular cross section and split from end to end, one edge of the splitportion oi the tube having an in- '\vardly projecting flange, and a cardstop closing a portion of the slit of the tube.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two ing witnesses.

JOSEPH CLIFFORD RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

Ronnn'r C. RUssnLL, J. PARKER RUssELL.

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